With Hanley Ramirez’s return to the Dodgers suddenly on the horizon, the Dodgers figured to gain an infielder over the next week.

Now they’ll be lucky to break even.

Second baseman Mark Ellis left in the fifth inning of the Dodgers’ 7-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers with a strained right quadriceps muscle. Ellis pulled up limping running out a routine groundball and was replaced in the lineup by Nick Punto.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Ellis would be examined today to determine the severity of the injury.

“If I had to guess, usually guys don’t come out of games like that and not (have) something,” Mattingly said. “It’s usually something that’s not going to be a day or two.”

That dampened the good vibes from a game that saw the Dodgers come from behind twice against the Brewers, who had won nine of their past 10.

Ellis is hitting .542 in his past six games, including a two-homer game Tuesday against the New York Mets.

Although Ellis’ .991 fielding percentage at second base is fourth in baseball history, the Dodgers have some experienced defensive replacements on the bench.

Jerry Hairston Jr. has 3,050 career chances at second base with a .981 fielding percentage. Skip Schumaker has 1,780 chances and a .979 fielding percentage. Punto has 1,332 chances at second base with a .983 fielding percentage.

“We’re pretty flexible through there,” Mattingly said. “We brought Schu there. Nick gives us the ability to do whatever we want to do (as a switch-hitter). He’s been a sparkplug.

“Hanley’s getting close. At that point, Justin (Sellers) is swinging the bat well,” and could also move to second base, Mattingly said.

The greater question is, who will bat second? There are plenty of options on the 25-man roster – and perhaps Ramirez, who begins a rehab assignment today – but no clear candidate if Ellis misses significant time.

Friday was a good night for the ex-Red Sox in the Dodgers’ lineup. Josh Beckett turned in one of his better starts of the season, Carl Crawford finished 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, and Adrian Gonzalez went 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

The Dodgers staked Beckett to a 2-0 lead after three innings. Andre Ethier tagged a changeup from rookie starter Hiram Burgos for an RBI single into right field to score Ellis. The Dodgers still led 1-0 in the third inning when Crawford connected for a solo home run off Burgos to right-center field, his second homer of the season.

Beckett walked the game’s first batter, Norichika Aoki, then retired the next 11 men he faced.

With two outs in the fourth inning, Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun stepped to the plate to a now-familiar chorus of boos from the announced crowd of 44,930 at Dodger Stadium. Braun heard it even louder after blasting a 93-mph fastball over the right-field wall to break up Beckett’s shutout and no-hitter.

Yuniesky Betancourt tied the score 2-2 with another solo home run off Beckett to start the fifth inning, planting a belt-high fastball over the fence in left-center field. Jean Segura singled home Alex Gonzalez to give the Brewers a 3-2 lead.

Beckett allowed seven hits and three runs, all earned, in 53 innings. He walked two and struck out five. It was only the second time in five April starts that Beckett allowed two runs or fewer in a game.

“Most everybody can be pitched to. You’ve just got to throw it where you want to throw it,” he said. “It’s tough anytime you see a hot team. They’re feeling good.”

The Dodgers tied the game at 3 on an RBI double down the right-field line by Gonzalez.

The Brewers got the run back in the top of the seventh inning on a costly error by Matt Kemp. With Alex Gonzalez on second base, Aoki poked a single into center field. Kemp charged from his position but allowed the ball to roll under his glove. By the time Ethier retrieved it in front of the warning track, Gonzalez had scored and Aoki was on third base.

Only a failed suicide squeeze attempt by Segura, who eventually struck out against Ronald Belisario (2-2), allowed the Dodgers to escape further damage. Belisario pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory.

The Dodgers pulled ahead 5-4 in the bottom of the inning when Gonzalez doubled in Punto and Justin Sellers with a double to center field off Milwaukee reliever Michael Gonzalez (0-2) in the bottom of the seventh.

An RBI groundout by Jerry Hairston Jr. and an RBI single by Crawford gave the Dodgers a pair of insurance runs in the eighth.

Up 7-4 in the ninth inning, Brandon League allowed a run but picked up his seventh save of the season.

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